A Scottish Sun report has asserted that Premiership clubs will discuss the new league reconstruction proposal on Monday.
Hearts owner Ann Budge drafted up the latest plan which suggests changing the current four-league 12-10-10-10 structure to a three-division 14-14-14 setup for two seasons.
An enlarged Premiership would see Hearts avoid relegation and Inverness Caledonian Thistle promoted from the Championship.
The plan needs the support of 11 out of the current 12 Premiership clubs and 75% support from the other three leagues in order to pass.
However, the Scottish Sun claims that a vote may not even be held on the matter, with early indications suggesting there isn’t enough support for the proposal in any division.
Clubs from each tier will meet on various days next week to share their thoughts, with Premiership clubs first up on Monday.
Rangers were one of several clubs who called for reconstruction to be revisited, so it’s entirely possible that they will argue for Budge’s proposal. Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack has already spoken out in support of it.
Yet, Budge is already taking flak from various lower-league club representatives.
Stenhousemuir chairman, Iain McMenemy, has told BBC Scotland he’d be ‘very surprised’ if the plan passes.
“I just think Ann’s got her timing all wrong. There are so many uncertainties, so many questions, that to restructure now just adds another set of issues and risks to an absolute plethora of unknowns already there.”
Elgin City chairman Graham Tatters has also referred to the proposal as a ‘waste of time’ given the financial issues that currently face clubs [BBC Scotland].
Predictably, then, it looks as though there won’t be the united front that Budge was hoping for in order to save Hearts from relegation.
It’s uncertain when exactly the 2020/21 season will begin but it’s highly likely that when it does, Rangers will still be competing in a 12-team Premiership.
